The Interhigh Nationals had flown by in a blur. There had been a lot of heart-stopping monts, but it was already nearing the end.
Now, only four teams remained, their eyes fixed on the semi-finals. It was the pinnacle of high school basketball in China, and it seed like the entire country was watching.
That included more than a hundred thousand viewers glued to their screens as they tuned into the livestream on one of the most popular video streaming sites.
Everyone was eager to get the latest scoop on the semi-final matchups.
The screen flickered to life, revealing the bright studio where Hailey and Kevin sat at their desks. Hailey's brunette ponytail swayed as she leaned toward the cara with a grin.
"Good evening, basketball fans!" she began, her voice full of energy. "Welco back to the Interhigh Nationals Livestream, where we've got plenty to talk about tonight. I'm Hailey, and with is the man who needs no introduction—Kevin!"
Kevin laughed, adjusting his headset. "Ah, you're too kind, Hailey! But seriously, what a tournant we've had so far. The top eight gas were incredible, but now we're down to the final four teams in the semi-finals. And let tell you—every single one of these teams deserves to be here."
The chat on the livestream blew up instantly. The comnt section was chaotic, full of passionate fans sharing their thoughts in real ti:
- Ballin4Lyfe: "Yin Yang Knights are killing it this season! Go all the way!!"
- SwishMaster: "Champions vs. Eagles. Finals rematch in the semis?! This is wild."
- HoopsFanatic: "Guardians out?! Did NOT see that coming, but I'm here for it."
- Kai4MVP: "Kai Guo is a LEGEND. Give this man his respect!"
Hailey's eyes flicked over to the comnts, and she smiled, reading them aloud. "It looks like a lot of you are hyped about the Knights. They've made it further than ever before, securing their spot in the semi-finals for the first ti ever since the era of their coach! You gotta admit, that's pretty exciting."
Kevin nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely. The Yin Yang Knights are no joke this season. Their ball movent, their defense—everything has clicked for them. It's hard to believe they weren't even considered contenders at the start of the tournant. I believe Coach Guanyu has stepped up his ga this season."
Hailey leaned back in her chair, pulling up a graphic on the screen showing the final four teams. "And, of course, there's the Huolan Guardians. Nobody expected them to get eliminated this early. It's their first ti in the Nationals, though, so we're looking forward to a better performance from them next year."
Kevin chuckled. "Yeah, I've been impressed with the Guardians. If they keep this up, they could be serious contenders in the next few years."
Hailey tapped her pen against the desk thoughtfully. "On the other hand, the Juren Champions and the Ying Eagles—now there's a rivalry for the ages. These two have played in the finals for the past two years. And now, thanks to the bracket shuffle, they're facing off in the semi-finals."
The chat went wild again, with fans from both sides throwing in their opinion.
- DunkMyBalls: "Eagles revenge ga! Let's go!!!"
- MyHoopWide: "Champions got this in the bag, so there's no way they're losing to the Eagles."
Hailey laughed. "It's going to be intense, no doubt. The Eagles want revenge after losing the finals last year, but the Champions have been on top of their ga. It's anyone's guess who's coming out on top."
"And that brings us," Kevin said, leaning forward with a grin, "to the one and only Kai Guo."
The chat exploded at the ntion of Kai's na, comnts flying in faster than anyone could read.
- UnderdoggyStyle: "Kai Guo for MVP! This kid's a beast."
- CourtMaid: "He's going to be the next big thing, I tell you. I really want to see him in a better team."
- BounceItBaby: "Kai's skill level is INSANE. Can't wait to see him in the semis."
Kevin held up his hands, chuckling. "Alright, alright, I know you're all excited! Kai Guo is the underdog story of the season. Coming from a team that most people didn't even expect to make the Nationals, he's beco a formidable opponent. He even gained a new nickna—Elite Murderer. It's like he's eliminating the Elite players one by one.
Will Max Zhou be his next victim?
Hailey humd, her face serious for a mont. "I'm actually pretty worried about that ga. I think it would be the toughest for the two teams in this season. Kai Guo is truly incredible, though."
"And you can bet every team in the semi-finals has their eyes on him," Kevin added. "Kai Guo is the player to watch."
***
anwhile, in a quiet bedroom, Ashley sat on the edge of her bed, her laptop glowing in front of her, the livestream playing on the screen.
She had been watching for over an hour, unable to tear herself away from the discussions about the upcoming gas.
It was her rest day (finally), but it felt like she couldn't rest at all.
"Kai Guo…" she murmured, leaning closer to the screen, her eyes scanning the comnts about him. "He really is the best underdog."
She could feel it—the buzz, the energy, the hype around him.
She closed the livestream tab for a mont and went to her ranking page. Ashley held her breath when she saw what spot Kai Guo had now taken.
"Fifth," she muttered.
Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire
He had climbed into the top five rankings without even finishing his final gas of the season. That kind of rise was unheard of. He was talented, of course, but it was more than that.
In the first place was still Jian Niu, with Zheng trailing behind him. In third place was Max Zhou, and in fourth was Fang Liu. Calvin had been displaced to seventh place after being eliminated by the Champions in the eighth round.
And in sixth place was Jimmy Wang. However, the gap between him and Kai was very profound. In fact, with the Huolan Guardians out of the league, Ashely was sure that Kai was going to soar to fourth place by tomorrow.
"He's scary," Ashley whispered, her fingers brushing the keyboard absentmindedly.
She closed the laptop, exhaling slowly as the screen went dark. Tomorrow, the semi-finals would begin.
Tomorrow, Kai would step onto the court again, and the country would be watching.
Reviews
All reviews (0)